"I'm trying to become an artist, and to be true, and sometimes I feel I'm on the verge of craziness, I'm just trying to get the truest part of myself out, and it's very hard. There are times when I think, 'All I have to be is true'. But sometimes it doesn't come out so easily. I always have this secret feeling that I'm really a fake or something, a phony." Even almost 60 years after her passing, Marilyn Monroe still remains a person of interest - movies, documentaries, books, articles, blogs (including this one!) are still enchanted by her and her demeanor. What makes someone so mesmerizing for so many years? How can one emulate her and her life? Well, these are 10 ways to live like the icon herself:
Marilyn would attend the Actors Studio in New York two times a week and sit in on other classes to become a more dramatic actress. Through this, Marilyn became very close to Lee Strasberg, the studio's founder - and would spend much time with him and his family. She felt he actually believed in her and her acting ability, viewing her seriously - not as a dumb blonde. This, of course, was very important to her. Read Classic LiteratureMarilyn Monroe had a collection of over 430 books! These books covered a variety of topics, including classic literature, biographies, religion, gardening, psychology, etc. To name just a few books in her collection: The Great Gatsby, Ulysses, The Last Temptation of Christ, Napoleon, and many more. Even though Marilyn did not graduate high school, it was very important to her that she expand her knowledge - more than most who graduated high school did. According to Amy Greene, a friend Marilyn lived with for a few years in New York, Marilyn was constantly reading and looking to learn more. Wear Chanel N°5Marilyn Monroe and Chanel N°5 go together like Judy Garland and rainbows. In a very iconic interview, when Marilyn was asked what she wore to bed, she replied "Chanel N°5." Furthermore, Chanel released two short videos about Marilyn and the perfume, which you can watch by clicking here and here. Some pictures of Marilyn photographed with her favorite perfume: Eat Hot Fudge Sundaes for DessertIn 1952, Marilyn told Pageant magazine about her diet and workout routine, and one thing she told them was that she began a habit of eating hot fudge sundaes for dessert - great choice by the way! "It's a good thing, I suppose, that I eat simply during the day, for in recent months I have developed the habit of stopping off at Wil Wright's ice cream parlor for a hot fudge sundae on my way home from my evening drama classes. I'm sure that I couldn't allow myself this indulgence were it not that my normal diet is composed almost totally of protein foods." Write Poems & Fragments to Express Your FeelingsMarilyn Monroe had a heart and passion for writing. She wrote numerous poems and fragments throughout her life, that are very well-done. In many of these poems/fragments, you can see the emotion behind them and they give a good insight to how Marilyn was feeling at the time. You can actually read Marilyn's writings in the book Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters - a really great read! Listen to Jazz MusicVisiting concerts of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sammy Davis Jr.'s (Marilyn's favorite singers - according to an interview she did in 1955) and listening to their records was something Marilyn loved to do. In fact, she was friends with them all too. One time during a photoshoot she was doing with Douglas Kirkland in 1961, dubbed "An Evening With Marilyn," Marilyn asked for Frank Sinatra records and champagne. Douglas Kirkland on that evening:
Garden & Spend Time OutsideMarilyn adored gardening and found it to be a peaceful place to be. She once said, "You know, I like playing around in the garden. It’s sort of fun. All there is is work, and there’s love.” She had a book on gardening as well, titled Flower Arranging For Fun by Hazel Peckinpaugh Dunlop. Referencing back to Marilyn's love for writing, through many of her poems it is apparent how much of nature made an appearance in her poems and fragments. Sometime after marrying Arthur Miller, she told him, "I hate Hollywood, I don't want it any more. I want to live quietly in the country and just be there when you need me. I can't fight for myself any more.” (Arthur and her had a home in the country in Roxbury, Connecticut.) Study the Things That Interest YouIn 1951, Marilyn enrolled at the University of California to study art and literature - an obvious passion of hers. She would attend the evening (about 6:30 p.m.) classes after working at the studio during the day. Find Original Pieces With Meaning to Go in Your HomeIn February 1962, Marilyn bought her home on 12305 Fifth Helena Dr. in Brentwood, California. It was a one-story Spanish-style home, in which Marilyn took great pride in owning. She once said to Life magazine in her last interview, "Anybody who likes my house, I am sure I will get along with.” At one point, Marilyn took a trip to Mexico where she would buy authentic Mexican pieces - furniture, trays, etc. - from boutiques, withholding plenty of character. *Many of these pieces were later sold at auction* Pictures of Marilyn's home and the decor she had in it while living there Get Involved With Causes Important to YouDuring Marilyn's life, she supported numerous causes. In February 1954, Marilyn went to Japan for her honeymoon with Joe DiMaggio, where she was then asked if she would perform for troops in Korea. She agreed and not only performed, but also met with a lot of the soldiers and served them food. First Lieutenant George H. Waple III was in charge of looking after Marilyn and said, “Marilyn never complained.” He added, “She seemed to like the basic living arrangement. Her only quibble was with the weather. She hadn’t expected it to be so cold and snowy. I told her I could give her an electric blanket for her cot, but she declined. She also turned down a small electric space heater for the room, saying she didn’t want to be the cause of any concern I might have had for her welfare. She was unspoiled to the nth degree.” "[The trip] was the best thing that ever happened to me. I never felt like a star before in my heart. It was so wonderful to look down and see a fellow smiling at me." Also throughout her life, Marilyn made many charitable donations and appearances including WAIF, The Milk Fund for Babies, muscular dystrophy, orphanages, and gave 25% percent of her estate to "to be used for the furtherance of the work of such psychiatric institutions or groups as she (Dr. Marianne Kris) shall elect." Dr. Kris ended up choosing Anna Freud Children’s Clinic of London. *For more information on Marilyn's donations and appearances, click here to be directed to The Marilyn Monroe Collection website page* Thank you for reading today's blog post! I really do appreciate it and hope you enjoyed reading about 10 ways to live like Marilyn Monroe! I am so, so excited to be returning to posting on Instagram soon after taking a much needed break. There are so many new friends, and if you're one of them - hello and welcome! Or if you've been here a while or are anywhere in-between - welcome back!
Have a lovely day and a lovely Easter Sunday filled with love and loved ones! Happy Easter eve! ♡ xoxo, Sophia, Mesmerizing Marilyn Monroe
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AuthorHi there! My name is Sophia! Welcome to Mesmerizing Marilyn Monroe! ♡ (To read more about me and this corner of the internet, click here!) Archives
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